A day before the second presidential debate, the Rev. Al Sharpton spoke candidly with WLWT about the election.
He called Donald Trump's words from a 2005 interview disturbing.
"The audio, appalling at best, and has really stunned the nation that we would hear this kind of behavior in a media atmosphere that he knew he was in," Sharpton said.
Meanwhile, Republicans are also sounding off.
Sen. Rob Portman, R-Ohio, said he could no longer support Trump in a statement he released late Saturday evening.
"As I said yesterday, Donald Trump's comments were offensive and wrong. I had hoped to support the candidate my party nominated in the primary process. I thought it was appropriate to respect the millions of voters across the country who chose Donald Trump as the Republican Party nominee. While I continue to respect those who still support Donald Trump, I can no longer support him. I continue to believe our country cannot afford a Hillary Clinton presidency. I will be voting for Mike Pence for President."
All of this is playing out just hours before Trump and Clinton, the Democratic nominee, face off in St. Louis.
"His values and his morality is not the character that you want to project to the world," Sharpton said.
Saturday evening, Sharpton spoke to a crowd in Forest Park at the Greater Cincinnati National Action Network Awards Banquet.
He had strong words about Trump.
"You know that this could be public and you don't care, and then some years later you want to be the one that raises questions on other's character is very disturbing at best," Sharpton said.
Trump is the target of criticism after lewd language he used about women in a leaked off-camera conversation with "Access Hollywood" anchor Billy Bush from 2005.
"When you're a star they let you do it. You can do anything. Whatever you want. Grab them by the p****," Trump said during that interview off-camera.
Late Friday night, Trump released a video statement about the interview from 11 years ago.
"Anyone who knows me, knows these words don't reflect who I am. I said it, I was wrong and I apologize," he said.
We spoke with Sharpton one-on-one, a staunch Democratic supporter, about the leaked audio.
"This, you know, he can try to dismiss as locker room talk, but you know you weren't in a locker room, he was with a TV person talking knowing a hot mic was on, so it was almost like he felt this was acceptable behavior," Sharpton said.
Local Republican Eric Deters is part of the tri-state Trump camp.
While some Republican lawmakers are withdrawing support, he said he's not shaken even with the next presidential debate looming.
"I'm confident that everybody in the tri-state that's on the Trump campaign, all the supporters out there agree with me -- inappropriate comment but when you look at the big picture of things, meaningless, and not near as important as the other issues in the campaign," Deters said.
Deters said hardcore Trump supporters don't care what Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., Rep. Paul Ryan, R-Wis., or any of them say.
"They don't care," he said.
We reached out to other Republican lawmakers from our area for their take on Trump following the release of the recording.
Rep. Steve Chabot, R-Ohio, released this statement:
"The disturbing comments made in the 2005 tape are never acceptable, no matter the circumstance. Donald Trump said this morning that those words are not reflective of who he is, and his immediate task is convincing the American people, and women in particular, that is the truth."
Rep. Brad Wenstrup, R-Ohio, released this statement:
"I find his comments to be disgusting and revolting. I'm raising my two-year-old son to be a gentleman who respects women. This is a horrible example."
Hamilton County GOP Chairman - Alex Triantafilou released this statement:
"I join every Republican I know in condemning these words and I'm disappointed. But, I accept Mr. Trump's apology. My role with the local party is to help Republicans up and down the ticket and that effort continues with great vigor."

FOREST PARK, Ohio —

A day before the second presidential debate, the Rev. Al Sharpton spoke candidly with WLWT about the election.

He called Donald Trump's words from a 2005 interview disturbing.

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"The audio, appalling at best, and has really stunned the nation that we would hear this kind of behavior in a media atmosphere that he knew he was in," Sharpton said.

Meanwhile, Republicans are also sounding off.

Sen. Rob Portman, R-Ohio, said he could no longer support Trump in a statement he released late Saturday evening.

"As I said yesterday, Donald Trump's comments were offensive and wrong. I had hoped to support the candidate my party nominated in the primary process. I thought it was appropriate to respect the millions of voters across the country who chose Donald Trump as the Republican Party nominee. While I continue to respect those who still support Donald Trump, I can no longer support him. I continue to believe our country cannot afford a Hillary Clinton presidency. I will be voting for Mike Pence for President."

All of this is playing out just hours before Trump and Clinton, the Democratic nominee, face off in St. Louis.

"His values and his morality is not the character that you want to project to the world," Sharpton said.

Saturday evening, Sharpton spoke to a crowd in Forest Park at the Greater Cincinnati National Action Network Awards Banquet.

He had strong words about Trump.

"You know that this could be public and you don't care, and then some years later you want to be the one that raises questions on other's character is very disturbing at best," Sharpton said.

Trump is the target of criticism after lewd language he used about women in a leaked off-camera conversation with "Access Hollywood" anchor Billy Bush from 2005.

"When you're a star they let you do it. You can do anything. Whatever you want. Grab them by the p****," Trump said during that interview off-camera.

Late Friday night, Trump released a video statement about the interview from 11 years ago.

"Anyone who knows me, knows these words don't reflect who I am. I said it, I was wrong and I apologize," he said.

We spoke with Sharpton one-on-one, a staunch Democratic supporter, about the leaked audio.

"This, you know, he can try to dismiss as locker room talk, but you know you weren't in a locker room, he was with a TV person talking knowing a hot mic was on, so it was almost like he felt this was acceptable behavior," Sharpton said.

Local Republican Eric Deters is part of the tri-state Trump camp.

While some Republican lawmakers are withdrawing support, he said he's not shaken even with the next presidential debate looming.

"I'm confident that everybody in the tri-state that's on the Trump campaign, all the supporters out there agree with me -- inappropriate comment but when you look at the big picture of things, meaningless, and not near as important as the other issues in the campaign," Deters said.

Deters said hardcore Trump supporters don't care what Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., Rep. Paul Ryan, R-Wis., or any of them say.

"They don't care," he said.

We reached out to other Republican lawmakers from our area for their take on Trump following the release of the recording.

Rep. Steve Chabot, R-Ohio, released this statement:

"The disturbing comments made in the 2005 tape are never acceptable, no matter the circumstance. Donald Trump said this morning that those words are not reflective of who he is, and his immediate task is convincing the American people, and women in particular, that is the truth."

Rep. Brad Wenstrup, R-Ohio, released this statement:

"I find his comments to be disgusting and revolting. I'm raising my two-year-old son to be a gentleman who respects women. This is a horrible example."

Hamilton County GOP Chairman - Alex Triantafilou released this statement:

"I join every Republican I know in condemning these words and I'm disappointed. But, I accept Mr. Trump's apology. My role with the local party is to help Republicans up and down the ticket and that effort continues with great vigor."